Separated from the fleet overnight, the 64-gun HMS Africa did not wait passively for perfect instructions. Captain Digby used his own judgment to bring the smallest type of third rate down the allied line. Some French captains interpreted the lone ship as the head of another British column, giving her movement an effect beyond her gun count. Digby's decision shows how training and delegated authority allowed a captain to act when signals and assigned station no longer supplied a complete answer. That decentralized judgment made Nelson's aggressive plan more resilient to confusion.
Notable Point · 1:09:35-1:10:44
HMS Africa and independent command
Captain Digby's decision to bring the small HMS Africa down the enemy line illustrates the initiative expected of experienced officers.